Means for controlling guided missiles



July 10, 1962 J. w. PIPER ET AL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING GUIDED MISSILES 3 Sheets$heet 1 Filed June 29, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1959 y 1962 J. w. PIPER ET AL 3,

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING GUIDED MISSILES fNVAN'ro RS monocular sighting instrument 15,

United States Patent 3,043,197 MEANS FOR CONTROLLING GUIDED MISSELES John W. Piper, Godalming, and William Harry Fryer, Byileet, England, assignors to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Limited, London, England Filed June 29, 1959, Ser. No. 823,606 Claims priority, application Great Britain July 25, 1958 3 Claims. (Cl. 891.7)

The invention has for its object to provide improved means for controlling electrically guided missiles, principally (though not necessarily exclusively) missiles which are capable of being launched and operated by an infantryman.

For this purpose the invention provides a control unit having two handle grips disposed one in front of the other, by which the control unit may be aligned on the target, an electrical trigger-switch or firing button adapted to be connected by trailing wires to a lunching apparatus for the missile, and a pivotally mounted thumb housing adapted to receive one of the operators thumbs and to constrain the thumb to move about axes which, when signals derived from the movements of potentiometer wipers connected to said thumb housing are transmitted to the missile, will impart to the missile guidance control movements with reference to the horizontal and vertical planes.

The control unit is also preferably provided with a monocular prismatic or other visual aid by which the operator may be assisted when attacking distant targets.

An embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the control unit;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating the manner in which the missile is controlled, FIG. 2 being a plan and FIGS. 3 and 4 side elevations respectively showing the missile before and after launching; and

FIGS. 5 and 5a are fragmentary side and rear elevations, respectively, partially broken away and showing the potentiometer'wiper connections to the thumb housing and to the horizontal axis lever of the control unit.

It will :be seen from FIG. 1 that the control unit comprises a stock upon the underside of which are provided two downwardly depending handle grips 11'and 12, respectively spaced fore-and-aft, so that the stock 10 may be'aligned in a given direction by grasping the handle grips 11, 12 in the two hands held one in front of the other.

Conveniently adjacent to the handle grip 11 is a springloaded trigger switch 13, protected by a guard 14, and

7 connected as hereinafter described to the launching apparatus of the missile, so that the depression of the switch or button will actuate the'firing arrangements to launch the missile.

Mounted upon the top of the stock 10 is a prismatic adjacent to which may be provided a cheek rest (not shown), so that the control unit may be sighted steadily upon a distant target conveniently to the operator.

Adjacent the handle grip 12 is a cup-shaped housing 16 into which the operators thumb is placed. Said housing 16 is mounted on the stock upon a lever 17 with capability of pivotal motion thereon about a horizontal axis at 171, said lever being mounted at 172 end the stock with'capability of pivotal motion about an axis in the longitudinal vertical plane. The axis 172 coincides substantially with the axis of the carpal joint of the thumb, whilst the axis 171 coincides substantially with the axis of the terminal joint thereof; thus, when the stock is heldwith the handle grips 11, 12 in an upright position, the

-eter means including a 3,943,197 Patented July 10,1962

ice

thumb is constrained by the housing 16 to move only in the direction determined by said two axes 171, 172.

The control unit incorporates two electric potentiometers Ph and Pv respectively housed in the casings 18, 19. The wiper 22 of the potentiometer Ph contained in the casing 18 is connected to the spindle 20 on which the lever 17 is mounted, so that when operated this potentiometer Ph transmits to the missile signals imparting guidance in the horizontal plane. The wiper 23 of the potentiometer Pv housed in the casing 19 is operated by the movement of the housing 16 about the axis 171, so that when operated this potentiometer Pv transmits to the missiles signals imparting guidance in the vertical plane.

Electric batteries for the two potentiometers Ph and Pv are housed within the handle grip 12, suitable connections being made with the end contacts of the potentiometers. The electric guidance circuits relating to said potentiometers, and the firing circuit connected with the trigger switch 13, are accommodated in the leads included in a trailing-cable 21 which is attached to the handle 12. The handle grip is used to accommodate a passive resistance-capacitance network, serving as a ground filter.

Simple self-centering springs may be provided in association with the thumb housing, in order to provide feel simulation in operating the controls.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a (missile A mounted on a launching standB and connected by the cable 21 to the stock 10 of the control unit held in the hands of a prone infantryman C represented as sighting the control unit upon a target D. The guided course of the missile A after firing is indicated by the dotted line (FIG. 2). FIG. 4 shows the missile A, after discharge, connected by a trailing cable E to the launching stand, said cable E enclosing the guidance control circuit connections from the control unit.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a manually operated device for controlling the flight .path of a missile with the natural movements of an operators thumb, said device comprising a stock member having a depending handle grip, a horizontal axis control lever disposed rearwardly of said grip, pivot means mounting said horizontal axis control lever on the device for pivotal movement from side to side of said stock member, a cup-shaped housing disposed adjacent the free end of said horizontal axis control lever and formed for receiving the thumb of an operator of the device, second pivot means mounting said housing at its rearward end to the free end of said horizontal axis control lever for pivotal movement upwardly and downwardly, potentiometer means for connection to said missile for varying electric impulses transmitted thereto for controlling horizontal and vertical movements thereof, said potentiomfirst potentiometer mounted adjacent said horizontal axis control lever and being connected thereto for movement thereby and a second potentiometer mounted adjacent said cup-shaped housing and being connected thereto for movement thereby, said potentiometers registering movements of said lever and said cup-shaped housing.

2. In a device of claim 1, wherein said potentiometers (References 7 on following page) 4 References Cited in 5'16 file of this patent 2,149,666 ChIiStiansen Mar. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,435,217 H ll Feb. 3, 1948 1,249,274 cha d er 7 2,558,109 Stanzel J ne 26, 1951 1,313,100 Longoria Aug. 12, 1919 5 2,725,669 Vincent Dec, 6, 195 5 

